Maeve Binchy wrote a series of short stories about the passengers of the Lilac Bus.

Author - Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy was born in 1939 in Dalkey, a small village outside Dublin. She graduated from University College in Dublin and then became a teacher. She worked for a time in Israel and, while there, had a letter published in The Irish Times, earning her £18 – more than her weekly salary. She then went on to pursue a career as a journalist. Maeve married the love of her life, children’s author Gordon Snell, in 1977 after the pair met at Broadcasting House, the home of the BBC.

Maeve Binchy’s literary career began in 1978 when her book of short stories Central Line was published. In total she had 11 books of short stories published and also wrote plays for radio, TV and the stage. But she is most famous for her 16 novels, several of which were best sellers and 3 of which have been made into films. She died in 2012 at the age of 73.

Maeve Binchy is unmistakeably Irish but did you know that she married an Englishman? Test your knowledge on Maeve Binchy and discover some more interesting nuggets of information in this quiz.

1.

The 1997 novel Evening Class features a group of students studying what?

French

Italian

Spanish

Turkish

The setting is the Mountainview School, Dublin

2.

Minnie Driver played Bernadette 'Benny' Hogan in a 1995 film version of which Binchy novel?

Circle of Fame

Circle of Fire

Circle of Forgiveness

Circle of Friends

Driver put on 30 lbs for the role

3.

Which 1988 novel centres around an anniversary party?

Silver Wedding

Ruby Wedding

Golden Wedding

Diamond Wedding

Silver Wedding tells the story of Deirdre and Desmond Doyle, their family and friends and some guilty secrets

4.

Binchy's novel Tara Road features two women, who have never met, who trade houses. One is Irish; what nationality is the other?

American

Canadian

English

Scottish

Tara Road was made into a film in 2005 in which Maeve Binchy can be seen in the first scene at Colm's restaurant

5.

What colour is the bus in the title of Binchy's 1984 short story collection?

Indigo

Lavender

Lilac

Violet

The stories are all about a group of seven people from the village of Rathdoon, who work in Dublin and return home every weekend on the Lilac Bus

6.

What is the title of Binchy's first novel, published in 1982?

Light a New Candle

Light an Old Candle

Light a Penny Candle

Light a Twopenny Candle

Before Light a Penny Candle Maeve had had two books of short stories published - Central Line in 1978 and Victoria Line in 1980

7.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Binchy was a journalist on which newspaper?

The Irish Mail

The Irish Post

The Irish Telegraph

The Irish Times

As well as being a journalist, Maeve also worked as a teacher of history, Latin and French

8.

Who played Marilyn in the 2005 version of Tara Road?

Brenda Fricker

Keira Knightley

Andie McDowell

Emma Thompson

Brenda Fricker is in the film but she plays Mona, not Marilyn

9.

Binchy was born in which small town near Dublin?

Dalkey

Doolin

Drogheda

Dundrum

Dalkey is the hometown of two Irish novelists: Maeve Binchy and Hugh Leonard. It is also popular with musicians with Bono, The Edge, Enya, Chris de Burgh and Van Morrison all owning houses there

10.

In which Binchy novel does the glamorous Helen marry Martin, though still pining for Louis?